The present invention relates to a waterproof connector and a manufacturing method thereof, particularly to a waterproof connector having a plurality of contacts and a peripheral shell as well as a method of manufacturing thereof.
In recent years, portable electronic devices have been widely used. Such electronic devices are required to have an excellent waterproof function. Accordingly, connectors for use in electronic devices are also required to have waterproof properties.
For instance, a connector disclosed in JP 5905952 B includes a plurality of contacts 1, a metallic ground plate 2 disposed parallel to the contacts 1, an insulator 3 made of insulating resin and holding the contacts 1 and the ground plate 2, a mid-plate 4 embedded in the insulator 3, and a metallic peripheral shell 5 covering the peripheral portion of the insulator 3, as shown in FIG. 22. The peripheral shell 5 has a counter-connector accommodation portion 6 that opens frontward in a fitting direction. Since the space between the contacts 1 and the ground plate 2 is filled with the insulating resin constituting the insulator 3, it is unlikely that moisture in the atmosphere or the like causes formation of an electric path between the contacts 1 and the ground plate 2.
In the connector disclosed by JP 5905952 B, however, the spaces between the contacts 1 and the ground plate 2 and between the contacts 1 and the peripheral shell 5 are only filled with the insulating resin constituting the insulator 3, and hence, a water entering path may be formed between the insulator 3 and an inner surface of the peripheral shell 5.
In order to prevent such a water entering path from being formed between the insulator 3 and the inner surface of the peripheral shell 5, the insulator 3 is desirably configured to, for instance, cover the peripheral shell 5 from its rear end through its peripheral surface. To obtain the insulator 3 as above, however, resin molding has to be carried out such that the resin covers the peripheral shell 5 from its rear end through its peripheral surface with the contacts 1, the ground plate 2 and the mid-plate 4 being disposed inside the peripheral shell 5, and it is difficult to finish the molding in a single process. Considering that the insulator 3 to be inserted in the peripheral shell 5 is molded in a primary molding process as shown in FIG. 22 and then another insulator to cover the peripheral shell 5 from its rear end through its peripheral surface is molded in a secondary molding process, it is necessary to secure the connector in position by placing the rear end of the insulator 3 so that the rear end abuts a mold for the other insulator. Therefore, part of the insulator 3 may be exposed even after the other insulator is molded, which may lead to formation of a water entering path.